In handcraft manufacture of furniture, or the like, a difficulty often exists in rapidly and accurately sizing the dowel end (the end portion to be accommodated in a hole in an abutting piece) of a workpiece or spindle turning on a lathe. The workpiece is usually decoratively formed on the lathe and a dowel end which is under size in diameter, for example, can cause assembly problems in fitting too loosely in standardized dowel holes.
Further, the conventional method for sizing a spindle or workpiece on a lathe requires the use of outside calipers in one hand of the operator and a parting tool in the other as the lathe is addressed, a procedure having inherent safety risks and tending to obstruct vision of the work.
The tool of the present invention provides for accurately sizing, as to diameter, workpiece or spindle dowel ends as the piece is turning on a lathe. It provides a cutting edge which is adjustably spaced from a reference bar adapted to extend in contiguous, underlying relation to the workpiece turning on a lathe. The tool may be rested on the lathe's tool rest and manually fed into the workpiece to reduce its dowel end to the predetermined, adjusted diameter. In using the tool, the operator's hands may be well back from the turning lathe and vision of the work is unobstructed.